Social conservatives looking to overturn California's gay marriages are misappropriating Barack Obama's image to woo black voters.

The backers of a move to ban same-sex marriage in California are inaccurately suggesting they have Barack Obama's and Joe Biden's support in a mailing that appears targeted at black voters.

The mailer is from ProtectMarriage.com, whose backers it says include the Knights of Columbus and Focus on the Family. It quotes Obama, Biden, and four African-American religious leaders who appear actually to support Proposition Eight, which is the subject of an expensive, hard-fought campaign in the state. The words from the religious leaders warn of "mandatory indoctrination" of school children and say it's "insulting that radical gay activists try to equate" the civil rights movement to the push for same-sex marriage.

The mailing quotes Obama and Biden — accurately — saying they oppose same-sex marriage. However, they also explicitly oppose Proposition Eight.

Many pundits claim black voters will play a key role in a possible Proposition 8 passage, although we seriously doubt many African-Americans are going to be fooled into taking away people's rights.

[via Politico]

Joe Biden avoided dancing on a recent episode of Ellen, but Barack Obama wasn't so lucky during a remote taping for the show yesterday.

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Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show today to stump for his electoral ticket. And, as you know, Biden took some time to tell the world he would vote "no" on Proposition 8, which would overturn gay marriage in California. He also mentions that he and running mate Barack Obama voted against a federal marriage amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. What a guy, that Joe!

DeGeneres supports his decision, of course - not only because the Proposition is entirely illiberal, but because she would then have to return all her wedding gifts. And nobody wants that!

We've included the video above. Enjoy!

Democratic running mate Joe Biden will appear on lesbian funny lady Ellen DeGeneres' talk show Monday. And, during their heart-to-heart, the Senator reportedly takes an unequivocal stand against Proposition 8, the ballot measure looking to overturn California's gay marriage win.

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Former Republican turned Barack Obama backer Jim Piccillo made quite the gaffe when introducing vice-presidential hopeful Joe Biden today. Said Piccillo: "…No matter your party, gender, race, or religion, please help me today in welcoming the next vice president of the United States: John McCain!" How embarrassing!

The real Joe Biden, meanwhile, has spent much his day taking on Republican running mate Sarah Palin, who did nothing this week when her supporters suggested Obama be killed and called him a terrorist. Said Biden this morning on Today:

I watched the news and I heard a couple people hollering from the audience semi-vile things about 'terrorists,' things like that. The idea that a leading American politician who might be vice president of the United States would not just stop mid-sentence and turn and condemn that — it's just a slippery slope, it's a place that we shouldn't be going.

Later, at the University of South Florida, Biden again took on Palin:

To have the vice presidential candidate raise the most outrageous inferences, the one John McCain's campaign is condoning, is simply wrong. They are attacking Barack Obama in the ugliest of ways. This is beyond disappointing. This is wrong.

Biden saved some energy for McCain, of course, and blasted the Arizona Senator's support for President Bush. Borrowing a line from Bob Casey, Biden said, ""You can't call yourself a maverick when all you've ever been is a sidekick." The Democrat also described McCain as "an angry man, lurching from one position to another."

The Saturday Night Live crew took some shots at the vice-presidential candidates this weekend when Tina Fey and Jason Sudeikis reenactedSarah Palin and Joe Biden's debate last week.

Each politico's ridiculous attributes were on display, from Biden's apparent worship - and hatred - of John McCain, to Palin's sad reliance on the word "maverick". The incomparable Queen Latifah popped in to play moderator Gwen Ifill and saved a bit of time to take on the candidate's comparable perspectives on gay marriage. This gave Fey an opportunity to skewer Palin's gay "tolerance:"

…Don't think I don't tolerate gay people. Because I do, I tolerate them with all my heart. And I know quite a few, too. Not personally, but I know of them. I've seen Ellen. Oh and there was this one girl on my basketball team, she wasn't officially a gay, but you know, we were pretty sure.

The SNL team also had some fun at gay politician Barney Frank in a bit about the so-called bailout. It's spot on!

Watch both clips, after the jump…

On a somewhat related note, our editor went to the taping Saturday to support his friend, host Anne Hathaway, and spotted CNN analyst and DNC honcho Donna Brazile. It must been past her bedtime, because Ms. Brazile had to "rest her eyes" periodically.

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Genocide isn't really our editorial purview, but we have to take a second to discuss Sarah Palin's comments last night on Sudan's war torn Darfur region.

Asked whether she would support putting troops on the ground in Sudan and try to stem the outrageous blood-letting, Palin, like so many times last night, didn't give a clear, concise answer. Rather, the Alaska Governor attempted to gussy up her own involvement, which turns out to be next to nothing. And her introductory statement's offensive on so many levels:

What I've done in my position to help, as the governor of a state that's pretty rich in natural resources, we have a $40 billion investment fund, a savings fund called the Alaska Permanent Fund.

When I and others in the legislature found out we had some millions of dollars in Sudan, we called for divestment through legislation of those dollars to make sure we weren't doing anything that would be seen as condoning the activities there in Darfur.

That legislation hasn't passed yet but it needs to because all of us, as individuals, and as humanitarians and as elected officials should do all we can to end those atrocities in that region of the world.

What?! You are planning on disinvesting so you don't look like you're "condoning" genocide in Darfur? That is not action, but image projection. Doesn't this woman understand that disinvestment doesn't really do anything, anyway, because the Chinese don't give two shits about human rights and are more than willing to pump money into the region?

Watch both Palin and Joe Biden's responses on the Darfur question down below…

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Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin faced off in their first - and only - debate last night in St. Louis. And, considering it's the politicians' only debate, it's pretty impressive that moderator Gwen Ifill injected gay rights into the discussion, asking, whether or not the candidates support granting benefits to same-sex couples.

Biden, a Democrat from Delaware, took the legislative route, saying he "absolutely" believes gay couples believe the same "constitutional" benefits awarded their straight counterparts…

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John McCain aide Nancy Pfotenhauer appeared on Fox News today to decry this Thursday's vice-presidential debate, where poor Sarah Palin will have to discuss things she doesn't understand, like foreign policy, a subject in which opponent Joe Biden will likely dominate.

Fox's Steve Doocy then remarks, "It sounds like they're stacking the deck against her, because everybody knows that's Joe Biden's forte." Boo-fucking-hoo.

[Via MG]

Vice-Presidential nominee Joe Biden will speak at the national Human Rights Campaign Dinner in Washington DC on October 4th. "Senator Biden's record in the United States Senate is one of support and understanding that has been unwavering throughout his career." HRC President Joe Solmonese said after Biden's VP selection.

I've always loved Joe Biden. He was only 29 years old when he won his Senate seat. He took the train home from DC every night to raise his kids. He's the real thing. What It Takes, by Richard Ben Cramer, is a fantastic behind the scenes look at the '88 Primary Campaigns and Biden is a major character. It really gives you an idea just how ordinary (and extraordinary) of a guy he truly is. Below the fold is Biden on the stump yesterday, doing what he does best in Ohio.

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